Titanium Rib Gives Denver Child Breathing Room by 9NEWS (KUSA TV, Denver) Health reporter, Dr. Stephanie Clements September 4, 2001 "It's hard to think about. Once he has this surgery, there's no going back. We can't change our minds. and it means he'll have to go the distance, the full 30 surgeries or so until he's grown up." Melissa Benson, little Sawyer's mom You know how some kids seem to live up to their name? Well, Sawyer Benson has a lot of growing to do. But his chest isn't cooperating. Sawyer was born with a rib problem; some are missing, others are fused together. His chest is holding his heart and lungs hostage to restricted growth, and soon he won't be able to breathe well enough to keep growing, to keep thriving. The end result could be disasterous---a respirator, even death. The solution is no easy task. Surgeons will have to implant a titanium rib on either side of his spine. But this rib runs perpendicular to his natural ones. It's a piston-like device that will coax his ribcage into expanding. After this major surgery to implant the titanium, Sawyer will face dozens of surgeries every couple of months, to allow surgeons to turn the expansion device to keep expansion in sync with his growth. We caught up with his mother, Melissa, as she pensively packed his bags for the trip to San Antonio, Texas, the only center in the world that does this experimental surgery. Sawyer will join an elite group of only 130 or so children worldwide who've had the procedure. At first his enemies will be various infections that could jeopardize not only the hardware, but the one-year old's very life. No matter how hard she tries to keep fear, second guessing and worry out, Melissa finds those emotions tucking themselves into the luggage she carries with her to Texas. Surgery is scheduled for September 5, 2001. Sawyer will spend a week in intensive care on a respirator, and then will gradually be weaned off it as his lungs can tolerate it. He and his mom will have to stay in San Antonio for about three weeks, depending on his progress. All this time Sawyer has been tethered to an oxygen tank. He is an amazing little boy who's learned to negotiate the plastic tubing that follows him wherever he goes. His mom is hoping that very soon, when he takes those very first steps, he can be as free as he wants, to go as fast as he wants. After all, with a name like Sawyer, he's got alot of exploring to do. Read more our our kids' stories by clicking HERE.